Mon Apr 10 17:10:45 2000
Yahoo_Host1: Welcome to Yahoo! Chat
Yahoo_Host1: Tonight we're so lucky to have Sir Ian McKellen
Yahoo_Host1: who is internationally renowned as the leading British actor of his generation
Yahoo_Host1: chatting with us about his role as Magneto
Yahoo_Host1: in the upcoming Bryan Singer film
Yahoo_Host1: X-Men
Yahoo_Host1: based on the comic books.
Yahoo_Host1: Send in your questions for Sir Ian McKellen now
Yahoo_Host1: by typing them in the Ask a question bar at the bottom of your screen.
Yahoo_Host1: And please remember - no spamming or obscenities in the chat room or your Yahoo!
ID
Yahoo_Host1: can (and will) be revoked.
Yahoo_Host1: Be nice to each other!
Yahoo_Host1: X-Men the movie,
Yahoo_Host1: starring Sir Ian McKellen
Yahoo_Host1: Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Tyler Mane,
Yahoo_Host1: Anna Paquin, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Hugh Jackman
Yahoo_Host1: will be in theaters this summer.
Yahoo_Host1: The film was directed by Bryan Singer who also directed Sir Ian in Apt Pupil.
Yahoo_Host1: Find out what it was like working together again.
Yahoo_Host1: Send in your questions for Sir Ian McKellen by typing them in the Ask a question bar
at the bottom of your screen.

kevkev76 asks: Is this the Magneto chat?
Yahoo_Host1: Yes, kevkev, you're in the right place.
Yahoo_Host1: Ian McKellen who plays Magneto in the soon-to-be-released film X-Men will be chatting
live in less than 15 minutes.
Yahoo_Host1: Who are the X-Men?
Yahoo_Host1: They are mutants, born with strange and awesome powers that set them apart from
humanity.
Yahoo_Host1: Gathered together by Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) in pursuit of their
dream of equality,
Yahoo_Host1: the X-Men battle for peace.
Yahoo_Host1: United by tragedy, bound by honor, they fight to protect a world that fears and hates
them!
Yahoo_Host1: And Ian McKellen who plays Magneto in the X-Men will be joining us to chat about the
film in just about ten minutes.
Yahoo_Host1: Keep your questions coming.
Yahoo_Host1: Type them in the Ask a question bar at the bottom of your screen.
Yahoo_Host1: Hugh Jackman, who is also in X-Men, will be chatting on April 26th - so check the
schedule for details about that.
Yahoo_Host1: Keep sending in your questions for Sir Ian McKellen about his role in X-Men
Yahoo_Host1: Sir Ian McKellen has joined us, let's all welcome him to the chat!
ian_mckellen: Welcome to everybody! I'm in LA

honey_crash asks: You were brilliant in Gods and Monsters - how was your role in the X-Men
different from some of your other roles?
ian_mckellen: Oh good gracious.. well every part is different from other parts
ian_mckellen: This was a movie, not theater.. this wasn't a leading part but it doesn't matter in film
ian_mckellen: b/c when it comes to do your scene you are the leading part
ian_mckellen: As for the character, he seemed very familiar to me.. I've played a lot of
Shakespeare, some of whom made it to the screen
ian_mckellen: and I think Magneto is very similar to those characters and I think if we haven't had
Shakespeare we
ian_mckellen: wouldn't have X Men

xstuds asks: Do you feel that Magneto is a villain or a tragic hero...and why?
ian_mckellen: Well I try not to judge the parts that I play I think that's up to the person who's written
the script
ian_mckellen: or more importantly the people who watch
ian_mckellen: Obviously he does things that people might think are villainous, but his motives are
admirable
ian_mckellen: so you could call him villainous or heroic as well
ian_mckellen: What's interesting about the X-Men movie and the comic itself is there's a
commentary about Magneto's
ian_mckellen: version of being a mutant... and no I didn't think "oh goody goody" he's a bad guy..
nor did I think that when I played Richard the 3rd

pap_guedhe asks: You say on your site that you prepared for the role by reading X-Men, did you
read any other comics at this time or do you read comics in general?
ian_mckellen: I think when I was about 10 years old in the north of England a new comic came out
called the "eagle" and
ian_mckellen: I read that each week, but it wasn't a strictly a comic on the American model.. So no
ian_mckellen: As for research, I was not familiar with X-Men comics until I read the script
ian_mckellen: and I did more than glance at old comics shown to me.. but basically I didn't do
ian_mckellen: any delving into past history which goes back 35 years.. If I had I'd still
ian_mckellen: be reading those now long after the film is finished

wolvieclaw asks: Did it feel odd playing a Nazi War Criminal in Apt Pupil and now playing Magneto: a
Holocaust survivor ?
ian_mckellen: Well, there is that connection between the two parts, but I didn't see any other
connection

kevkev76 asks: Are Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, Magneto's children, mentioned at all?
ian_mckellen: No, I am aware of them, but they were not mentioned in the film, nor do they appear
ian_mckellen: but if everyone goes and sees X-Men, there may be a sequel and they may get their
moment in the sun

honey_crash asks: What was it like working with Bryan Singer again?
ian_mckellen: Well, basically very enjoyable
ian_mckellen: People often ask me what attracted me to play Magneto and the first attraction
ian_mckellen: was working with Bryan. he's been a good friend since we did Apt Pupil
ian_mckellen: So very enjoyable will be the answer

Jaredan1 asks: Less seriously-- did the helmet itch?

profxbarber asks: was your helmet comfortable?????
ian_mckellen: It didn't itch, no.. but it hurt on occasion.
ian_mckellen: It had to fit tightly b/c no body wanted to see Magneto's helmet moving independently
of
ian_mckellen: Magneto's head!
ian_mckellen: and it would have been impossible for the helmet to be put on in one piece
ian_mckellen: so you're in on the secret that it's in two parts
ian_mckellen: and occasionally I was given a momentary headache, but nothing that Magneto
ian_mckellen: couldn't cope with

xstuds asks: Was anyone intimidated on-set by your formal training, Oscar-nominations, and
knighthood?
ian_mckellen: Well if so they didn't show it. No I was treated very much as part of the team
ian_mckellen: Americans find knighthood difficult to deal with.. not that they have a problem but they
can't figure out how to address me
ian_mckellen: so we settled for Ian

KingSpammer asks: I saw the trailer and the movie looks great, so how did it feel to be in one of the
most anticipated movies of the summer?
ian_mckellen: Well, there can't be any pressure on me, b/c I've finished.. that isn't quite true
ian_mckellen: Tomorrow morning and the day after I have to do ADR... dubbing my voice for the
film.. but yesterday
ian_mckellen: there was a roughcut showing among executives at FOX and I'm sure Bryan Singer felt
under
ian_mckellen: pressure b /c he hasn't finished the film.. there's music and other things.. but for the
actor's it's onto the next job for us

Ryan_Jamison_Evans asks: Do you feel pressure on you as an actor when you are cast to play a role
like Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, both from yourself and from fans of the original work?
ian_mckellen: I'm rather used to this sort of pressure, b/c I've played a lot of classic parts
ian_mckellen: Parts that other actors have played before me.. so when you play Richard 3rd
hundreds of actors
ian_mckellen: all over the world have played the part.. and in some instances you'll be judged to
those performances
ian_mckellen: in the case of Magneto, I'm not being compared to another performance but to the
cartoon
ian_mckellen: so it's not the same.. I'm aware via my website that there are people anticipating, but
I tried to ignore them while I
ian_mckellen: was actually filming.
ian_mckellen: I was told today that 1.7 million people have downloaded the glimpse that was seen of
Lord of the Rings on its site
ian_mckellen: and that's a lot of people isn't it?

cubfanlongtime asks: Assuming Magneto wasn't killed, would you consider coming back for a
sequel?
ian_mckellen: Yes.

Ishamael70 asks: Was it difficult for you to switch roles so quickly, from Magneto to Gandalf(in
Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings)?
ian_mckellen: Yes. I think as I remember.. I did have a holiday off for the millennium eve
ian_mckellen: but I had intended all the time I was doing X-Men in Toronto to be catching up and
thinking of Gandalf and
ian_mckellen: I arrived in NZ in January, I had to do some adjusting.
ian_mckellen: So it was good to have that brief break.. and I don't recommend that actors jump
directly
ian_mckellen: from one role to another.. although some actors do 2 films at once
ian_mckellen: so maybe it's not as difficult as all that

cubfanlongtime asks: B. Singer has said "it's not an action movie." Agree or disagree?
ian_mckellen: The X-Men movie is still inside Bryan Singer's head so he knows best
ian_mckellen: There's certainly action in it.. I think he's said it's not just action
ian_mckellen: and there's content in the film and plenty of possibility for acting as opposed to action

durstman asks: what was it like working with Patrick Stewart

Mon Apr 10 17:40:54 2000
ian_mckellen: Well I've done that twice. The first was in a play by Tom Stoppard called Every Good
Boy Deserves Favor but that was
ian_mckellen: like 20 years ago now.. you'd have to check on my website www.mckellen.com
ian_mckellen: But we're not old friends, but old acquaintances and became much closer on this film
ian_mckellen: and often found in adjacent chairs talking about all sorts of private things like our
ian_mckellen: past in classical theater in the UK
ian_mckellen: He's just opened very successfully on Broadway last night.. and I'm sorry that I won't
be able to see the play

gwhitta asks: You're well known as a classical actor - does a role like Magneto really give you a
chance to flex your acting muscles, or is it a much simpler kind of role?
ian_mckellen: well what is simpler is the text, the dialogue, the words you have to speak, but
ian_mckellen: I find all parts difficult in a sense in that each have their own demands
ian_mckellen: but I have very catholic tastes and don't make a distinction between comedy, tragedy,
film theater
ian_mckellen: big part, small part, each have their own special demands
ian_mckellen: so I didn't find magneto an easier part or a lesser part
ian_mckellen: than the great classical roles
ian_mckellen: Plus you don't get to fly when you play Richard the 3rd do you?

dsanaka asks: your performance so far (what I've seen in the preview) is stunning, chilling, and
moving... do you like playing a bad guy?
ian_mckellen: Is this a critic? :D
ian_mckellen: If so I should send you a box of chocolates :) Well, it's said that the devil has the
best tunes
ian_mckellen: to that extent the villains are often the best parts
ian_mckellen: For ex. in Othello by Shakespeare the title isn't the best part, but Iago, which I played
ian_mckellen: So the thing in playing people who behave badly is that you'll possibly behave less
badly in real life
ian_mckellen: b/c you've gotten rid of some of that part of your nature

chatty_90403 asks: Did you have other actors to play off of when you recorded your part, or were
you playing off of computers and previous recordings?
ian_mckellen: In X-Men, always with the other actors. In Lord of the Rings, which I'm still in the
middle of making
ian_mckellen: there's a great deal of computer generated material and characters who are computer
generated
ian_mckellen: but I don't have to appear with them .. so no, real people, real actors

cubfanlongtime asks: What Shakespearean part would you say is closest to Magneto? Shylock? (do
we not bleed)?
ian_mckellen: Ah... Well, that is possible.. that is a viable connection in that Magneto in his youth
was a victim
ian_mckellen: of the Nazis who ill-treated Jews, but many other minorities as well including gay
people
ian_mckellen: Magneto has more power than Shylock ever aspires to
ian_mckellen: I can't think of a specific connection between a Shakespeare character and Magneto

chatty_90403 asks: Do you prefer theater or film?
ian_mckellen: That's rather like saying do you prefer eating the main course to the dessert.. It's all
food as it were
ian_mckellen: They're very different, but very similar.. sometimes when I'm making a film I think I
long to return
ian_mckellen: to the theater and the live audience, and sometimes when I'm in the middle of a long
ian_mckellen: run I want to return in front of the camera. So the grass is always greener

mlke23 asks: Mr. Singer has often said that he only would do this film if it stayed "realistic." In your
opinion, was it a realistic film, considering the suspension of disbelief for mutants?
ian_mckellen: Well it would have been possible to do a film version of X-Men as pure fantasy, but I
think that would
ian_mckellen: have been contrary to the intention of the comics.. it's full of people in fancy dress,
but what they're worrying about is a very
ian_mckellen: real world in which minority people are treated... so I think it was right in Bryan Singer
setting it in the real world of the present day so I think that was a good approach for the film version

thedarkphoenix20 asks: How does it feel to have an action figure?
ian_mckellen: :) As long as we're just talking amongst ourselves, it's rather thrilling really
ian_mckellen: I have this vision of children around the world shaking their corn flakes out and Ian
McKellen
ian_mckellen: so they've got to be careful not to eat me

Edward139 asks: Were you a fan of Tolkien's work before you became involved with the Lord of the
Rings?
ian_mckellen: Yes, but not a fanatic. I knew the Hobbit book and had enjoyed it very much
ian_mckellen: but I'd never read its sequel -- Lord of the Rings
ian_mckellen: I think it's the first time I've confessed that publicly, mainly b/c I didn't want the fans
ian_mckellen: to get to worried
ian_mckellen: but the script is so true to the book I think it doesn't matter
ian_mckellen: I've now rectified the situation and have read the books

kevkev76 asks: Any love interest for Magneto in the film?
ian_mckellen: Yes, but you have to be very quick to notice

lemon73081 asks: How do they play up the social aspect of the movie? This is, that Xavier and
Magneto are flip sides to the same coin, and if they ever worked together, they might accomplish
something?
ian_mckellen: I think that is for an audience to note for themselves, but I don't think it's a point
that's made in the script and it's clear that they're old friends
ian_mckellen: I think Xavier regrets that Magneto his old friend doesn't agree with his views, his
actions

kevkev76 asks: What was it like working with newcomers Hugh Jackman and James Marsden?

Pogo_Go asks: Speaking of the other actors, how was it hanging around with your cronies
Sabertooth and Mystique (Tyler Mane and Rebecca Romijn respectively)?
ian_mckellen: I like them all immensely as people.. and Hugh in particular has become a good
friend
ian_mckellen: They were all delightful to work with and yesterday Jimmy Marsden and I spent the day
going about Universal studios
ian_mckellen: with friends.. he was wearing sunglasses that rather looked like a visor but no body
recognized him
ian_mckellen: They were blue, not red :)
ian_mckellen: Thank you very much. I think it would be the weather. We were filming in Nov. and a
number of days we were filming in nighttime when it was way below freezing, and we would rush
offstage to get warm by these heaters.

mlke23 asks: Magneto has been called the first "misunderstood" villain in comics. Do you believe he
is evil, or just a misunderstood minority?
ian_mckellen: Well it goes back to an earlier question doesn't it? ...
ian_mckellen: I had just finished doing a very hard season of work at the West Yorkshire Playhouse
in the UK
ian_mckellen: and decided that I wouldn't work for the rest of the year unless it was a wonderful part
ian_mckellen: So Bryan showed me the script, I had looked at the comics and I said yes rather
quickly

pap_guedhe asks: Mr McKellen, after having partaken in the X-Men movie with what comes with
that would you participate in other comics movies?
ian_mckellen: Well I wouldn't want to get trapped into type casting. It would all depend on the script
ian_mckellen: if the script was good, if the director was someone I admired I would be more
interested
ian_mckellen: but throughout my career, I've been acting for 40 years, so I don't like to repeat
myself

CoolDan989 asks: If you could change one thing about Magneto, what would it be?
ian_mckellen: Oooh dear.. if I could change one thing about Magneto what would it be... well he is
what he is
ian_mckellen: and if you started changing him he wouldn't be Magneto.. so I think I'd leave him
exactly as he is
ian_mckellen: If he were a real life person I do wish he would listen a little more to the words of
wisdom
ian_mckellen: from his old friend the professor

martin1994_2000 asks: did you base your character representation on anybody in the real world
ian_mckellen: No, I hoped that I understood him from the script and understood his motives and
based on his past
ian_mckellen: which is strongly referred to in the script
ian_mckellen: so I didn't have any difficulty imagining him
ian_mckellen: I did in the way that I walked, and used my costume, remember some of the images
ian_mckellen: from the comics, the way that he's clearly very proud of his appearance
ian_mckellen: Magneto goes to a very good hairdresser for example and has his own personal tailor
ian_mckellen: He's a bit of a narcissist, but I didn't form him after anyone in particular

seagal_usa asks: What a thrill! Welcome Sir McKellen! What was your favorite role?
ian_mckellen: Well in the theater my favorite roles are those in which I've had successes
ian_mckellen: so Macbeth was a particular favorite. It was a wonderful part. It was a wonderful
production
ian_mckellen: it was a long time ago 1976. And we did film the version which I think is the best
ian_mckellen: film version of Shakespeare ever made, with the exception of the film Richard III
ian_mckellen: and then my favorite film role to date is James Whale in Gods and Monsters

waterbairer asks: Sir Ian, I have been a big fan of yours since Richard III, and your performance in
God's and Monsters was incredible. Was this project as challenging as Richard or God?
ian_mckellen: No, b/c Richard III I was not only playing the leading part. I had co-written the script
and was a co-producer
ian_mckellen: Again Gods and Monsters it was the leading part and that has its special
responsibilities
ian_mckellen: As Magneto I felt I was more part of the team

dmullich asks: What motivated you to set up your own web site and communicate so directly with
your fans?
ian_mckellen: I'm often asked to write my autobiography and the website is I hope a modern
alternative to that
ian_mckellen: in that it catalogues my career and allows me to comment on work that I've done and
am doing
ian_mckellen: and the website keeps expanding as I comment on previous performances
ian_mckellen: I never intended it to become such a correspondence with people who are interested
ian_mckellen: but it's turned out that way
ian_mckellen: and I'm enjoying that part of it
ian_mckellen: and there are many many people who have such an interest in acting and theater...
and I've
ian_mckellen: communicated with them through letters, but now can do it in a very
ian_mckellen: modern way through email and through this type of chat

lord_of_the_rings_freak asks: Has Peter Jackson changed the 'Lord of the Rings' from it's original
form?
ian_mckellen: Yes, he's translated it from the novel on the page to three movies and in doing that
changed it a great deal
ian_mckellen: Has he changed the story? Basically, no he has not
ian_mckellen: It's not an adaptation, it's more of a translation
ian_mckellen: That's a better way to think of it
ian_mckellen: and everyday on Lord of the Rings, the novels are referred to
ian_mckellen: We literally go to the page and read back what Tolkien's original scene of what we're
doing

bobbiosmit asks: Did you know much about James Whale before taking the role in :Gods and
Monsters" as him?
ian_mckellen: I knew nothing about the man James Whale, but I'd seen a number of his movies
ian_mckellen: The fuller answer to many of these questions can be found by going into my website
www.mckellen.com where
ian_mckellen: I've gone into them more deeply and at length

yahoomusic asks: Sir Ian, God's and Monsters was brilliant and beautiful movie...how did the script
find its way to you and did it read as wonderfully as the film came off?
ian_mckellen: I was immediately struck by the screenplay b/c it was so close to the novel on which it
was based
ian_mckellen: the novel is called The Father of Frankenstein by Christopher Bram. Now the film is
finished and it's almost
ian_mckellen: exactly as I was hoping it would be

sabretooth2k asks: Are there any scenes which depict Magneto and Professor Charles Xavier
arguing about their ideals in the Astral Plane?
ian_mckellen: Well, every time that they meet in the film they're arguing.. and I think there is a
scene where the astral plane can be said to occur, but...

kevkev76 asks: Do you think X-Men will raise social conscience?
ian_mckellen: I hope so.
ian_mckellen: If you look at the official X-Men site, it's quite clear that it directs the audiences
attention to the fact
ian_mckellen: that there's a serious political argument at the heart of the film

tubekak asks: Playing Magneto, a character of such literate proportions, are you inspired from
some of the great screen villains. Actors who have played villains such as Dracula, Frankenstein's
monster. I think of people like Boris Karloff come to mind. Is he or anyone else you look at for
inspiration?
ian_mckellen: No, not with regards to Magneto.. but I've just been working with Christopher Lee, the
great English horror movie actor

Mon Apr 10 18:10:57 2000
ian_mckellen: and that was very enjoyable. But Magneto is all my own work.

the_infamous_twinz asks: Sir Ian McKellen, are you in a lot of the action scenes in the film?
ian_mckellen: Magneto's powers are so strong that he doesn't have to dirty his hands with too much
action

lemon73081 asks: How did you go about preparing for the film? Was researching difficult?
ian_mckellen: On the whole, I don't do research. On the whole if the script is good enough I won't
need to
ian_mckellen: b/c the research would have been done already by the writers

teemd asks: Did you have experience in horseback riding before LOTR started filming and are you
learning it/finding it enjoyable?
ian_mckellen: I've been riding in films on and off for 30 years and that is the only time that I ride
ian_mckellen: and I do enjoy it, but two weeks ago
ian_mckellen: my horse was so frisky that it had to be controlled out of sight of the camera by 6
hefty wranglers
ian_mckellen: But in my time I've ridden on a camel too, when I played Lawrence of Arabia

fjhebronjr asks: Mr. McKellen, Do you think X-men was compromised at all due to the studio wanting
to release the film this summer

timmy_c_1999 asks: How you compare Gandalf to Magneto, and what are their differences?
ian_mckellen: I don't make any connection really. Of course they both contain a lot of Ian McKellen
in them, inevitably
ian_mckellen: The comparison has been made with Malcolm X .. they both were prepared to use
violence to achieve their aims.

waal99022 asks: Are you aware that Lord of the Rings Preview holds the record for the most
downloads in 24 hours..1.7 million..The Phantom Menace had just 1 million..when it hit the net..What
does this mean to you about the popularity of the books and its movies?
ian_mckellen: Well, it's already been said to be the most popular book of fiction in the 20th century
ian_mckellen: so perhaps those figures aren't surprising
ian_mckellen: And not just of course in the US. It's all over the world
ian_mckellen: It's been translated into I don't know how many languages

waal99022 asks: How old were you when you filmed "The Keep" and played an old man who turned
young? Can you elaborate on that role a little?
ian_mckellen: About 40. He was a middle-aged man who looked very old, that was a disease he had
ian_mckellen: I do like playing old men in films that seem to be younger in flashback, that was true
of Gods and Monsters
ian_mckellen: and also true of a film I made called Priest of Love about DH Lawrence... not to be
confused with Lawrence of Arabia

genex_dude asks: Do you mind being called, "Sir Ian McKellen?"
ian_mckellen: I'm going to try and answer this seriously. The correct use of the title Sir is that it
should be used only
ian_mckellen: when you would refer to me as Mr. Ian McKellen if I didn't have a title
ian_mckellen: so my professional name isn't Mr. Ian McKellen or Sir Ian McKellen so I expect
ian_mckellen: people very rapidly to call me just Ian.. Sir is just for formal occasions as is for certain
countries just Mr.
ian_mckellen: And my gay friends often refer to me as Sirena and I don't mind that as well
ian_mckellen: That's Serena .. Though I sometimes think I should be called Serenissima, which is
even more flattering.. meaning "Most Serene"

thedarkphoenix20 asks: I love you Ian, do you think being a gay man had impaired your work in any
way, shape or form?
ian_mckellen: No, being gay is the very center of my being, so if people think I'm a good actor, then
it must in part be b/c I'm a gay man
ian_mckellen: and I can't understand why other gay actors who are enjoying success
ian_mckellen: aren't prepared to be honest and let the world know they are gay
ian_mckellen: It's nothing to be ashamed of.
Yahoo_Host1: Many, many thanks to Ian McKellen (or Sir Ian McKellen, whichever you prefer!) for
joining us this evening to chat about X-Men, the movie, LOTR and his other film and theater work.
ian_mckellen: Thank you everyone who's asked a question and I'm sorry that we didn't get around to
all the questions.

Carlos_X_MAN asks: Hello from M_co!!

Pogo_Go asks: Thanx for dropping us a line! It's great to see actors touch base with their audience
like this!

waal99022 asks: BYE...THANKS SO MUCH..I look forward to SEEING YOU IN BOTH XMEN AND LORD
OF THE RINGS
Yahoo_Host1: Come back on April 27 to chat with Hugh Jackman from X-Men the movie.

sabretooth2k asks: X-Men will be excellent because of you Ian
Yahoo_Host1: And visit the official website www.xmenthemovie.com/

genex_dude asks: Bye Sir Ian McKellen (hehe)! Thanks for stopping by.

fifteen_guy asks: !!**ENCORE**!!

mlke23 asks: Thank you for giving us your time, Sir McKellen. You are truly brilliant:)